Sedentary Activities and Passive-to-Intense Effects on Neuro-Cognitive States

Summary

Prolonged sedentary behavior is linked to poorer metabolic health, yet its effect on cognitive load and brain function remains unclear. Evidence indicates that "mentally active" sedentary tasks (e.g., reading) may support cognition, whereas "mentally passive" tasks (e.g., scrolling social media) may impair it. The cognitive demands associated with these behaviors across the general population are still poorly defined. This project will compare the acute neurophysiological and perceptual responses elicited by mentally active versus passive sedentary tasks across various age groups and in individuals with specific health conditions (i.e., obesity), clarifying how these behaviors differ in the cognitive load they impose. Neuro-cognitive, physiological, and perceptual responses will be assessed with a multimodal battery that includes portable electroencephalography combined with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (EEG + fNIRS; MUSE), eye-tracking (Pupil Core), alertness and visual fatigue via critical flicker fusion testing (CFFT; Lafayette Instrument), autonomic balance through heart-rate variability (HRV) recorded with a Polar H10 monitor, and the self-reported cognitive load assessed using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). We hypothesise that mentally passive sedentary activities will elicit a lower cognitive load than mentally active tasks. By comparing different age groups and health conditions within a single protocol, the study will generate an initial set of group-specific data; subsequent independent studies can build on these findings to explore moderation effects in greater depth. Collectively, the results will provide both the theoretical rationale and the empirical evidence needed to sustain the "mentally active" versus "mentally passive" terminology in sedentary-behaviour research, with the ultimate aim of improving mental and cognitive health.

Conditions

• Cognition
• Sedentary Behaviors

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Maximum Cognitive Load

Participants will perform a working memory task (through N-back 1-to-3) to evaluate the upper limit of cognitive demand.

BEHAVIORAL

Mental active/pasive activities

Participants will engage in 7 activities, presented in a randomly assigned order across two separate days, to assess their impact on cognitive load: 1. playing a videogame (Tetris ®) 2. listening a podcast (including a final question) 3. watching a documentary (including a final question) 4. reading a document extract (including a final question) 5. watch a reality show extract (including a final question) 6. listening music, they like it 7. scrolling their Tik-Tok/Instagram

BEHAVIORAL

Baseline Cognitive Load

Participants will sit quietly for 5 minutes to establish baseline spontaneous neurophysiological parameters.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

5 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-03-01

Primary Completion

2025-12-31

Completion

2026-05-30

Countries

• Chile

Study Locations